Partition structure



- May 29, 1928. 1,67l,113

W. T. HORMES ET AL PARTITION STRUCTURE Filed May 22, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet l Q z r W. T. HORMES ET AL PARTITION STRUCTURE May 29, 1928. 1,671,113

' Filed May 22, 1923 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 May 29, 1928.

W. T. HORMES ET AL v PARTITION STRUCTURE 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed May 22. 1923 May 29, 1928. 1,671,113

I W..T. HORMES ET AL v PARTITION STRUCTURE Filed May 22, 1925 4 Shets-Sheet 4 Patented May "29, 1928.

' UNITED STATES PATENTOFFICE.)

WILLIAM T. HORMES, OE CATONSVILLE, AND ALBERT M. WOLTZ AND JOSEPH F. REY- MAN'N, OF BALTIMORE,

MARYLAND, ASSIGNORS, BY MESNE ASSIGNMENTS, TO GRAND RAPIDS STORE EQUIPMENT CORPORATION, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

' PARTITION STRUCTURE.

Application filed May 22,

This invention is a partition structure of the character commonly employed for dividing ofl' space in offices, banks, and businessestablishments generally.

Under present day practice partition structures of this character are usually made up of parts permanently secured tothe walls and floors, and to each other. Therefore, .in order to repair or replace a damaged panel, for instance, it is necessary to start at one wall and to take down. all of that portion of the structure lying between said *all and the panel to be removed. After repairing the panel or substituting another, the taken-down structure must be rebuilt. Obviously, this is objectionable because it involves time, expense and labor.

One of the objects of the invention is to overcome these objections byproviding a partition structure, constructed of separable units capableof being readily assembled or disassembled, as occasion may require,

" whereby any selected panel'or part may be with the other parts.

removed and replaced without interfering provide-simple and eliective meansby which the complemental units may be separably engaged. A further object is to provide a unit construction which will be rigidly supported and firmly braced when the parts are in position.

The invention will be hereinafter fully set forth and particularly pointed out in the claims. p

In the accompanying drawing Figure 1 is a front elevation illustrating the invention. Figure 2 is a perspective view illustrating the joint between two panels, one pilaster being removed. Figure 3 is a cross-sectional viewthrough a set of pilasters. Figure 4 is a detail cross-seetional view illustrating the separable interlocking construction. Figure '5 is a perspective view similar to Figure 2 illustrating a slight modification. Figure 6 is a .detail sectional view illustrating the separable connections of the structure illustrated in Figure 5. Figures 7 to 13 are detail views illustrating various modifications of the separable connecting devices.

Referring to Figures 1, 2 and 3 of the drawings, the partitions are made up of a plurality of panels 10, united at their con .the groove 19 of .A further object is to 1923. Serial No. 640,755.

'tiguous edges by pairs of front and rear pilasters 11 and 12, respectively, the tops of the panels and the pilasters being covered bya cap'piece 13. Each panel is provided with an end stile 14, rigidly secured thereto,

faces of the pilasters 11 and 12. Each pilaster is also provided with a metal plate 22, which projects above theplane of the top end of the pilaster, being positioned to enter the top piece. Secured to each pilaster 12, between the grooves 21, are a plurality of U-shaped metal clips 28, having inturned flanges 24 at their free edges, providing slots through which the heads of screws 24*, secured to the pilaster 11, may be forced.

The lower ends of the pilasters are engaged by keeper plates 25,,which are secured thereto in suitable manner, as by means of screws, each keeper plate having a flange 26, which may be secured to the floor, for instanceby means of a screw as shown.

In practice, two panels 10 are brought-into a partition construction conforming with approximate position in alignment with each downwardly until it engages the floor, therebysteadying the. panels. After the panels 17. The upper edges of the 21 of the latter engaging 1i) and the pilaster 12 have been assembled as described, the pilaster 11 is placed in position by bringing the grooves 21 thereof in register with the projecting portions of the stiles 20", and forcing the heads of the screws through the slots formed by the edges 24 of the clips 23. Said clips are sufliciently resilient to permit theheads of the screws 24 to sna past the flanges 24, said flanges acting to hold the parts against accidental separation. If it is desired to remove the pilaster 11, the parts 24 are resilient enough to permit the heads of the screws 2& to snap past if sufiicient power is applied. After the pilasters. and panels have been assembled, the cap piece 13 is placed in position, the'top edges 18 of the panels and the plates of the pilasters entering the groove 19, thereby holding said parts against relative lateral movement. The pilasters are finally anchored to the floor by means of the keepers 25.

From the foregoing it willbe readily seen that a very rigid unit structure is provided which is so firmly braced that it will not collapse and yet so constructed that any panel may be removed and replaced by merelydisengaging the pilasters without disturbing the other panels. Figures 4; and 5 illustrate a slight modification. In lieu of the plates 22, the tops of the pilasters are provided with dowels 27, positioned to engage complemental holes 28 in the under side of the top piece. The stiles are also provided with a longitudinally extended concavity 29, to receive the correspondingly shaped arms 30 of spring clips 31, secured to the inner faces of the pilasters between the grooves 21. Said spring arms normally spread outwardly and are sprung into engagement with the concavities of the stiles, to retain the pilastersin engagement with the panels, in a manner which will be clearly obvious from the illustration in Figure 5.

In Figures 6 and 7 the pilasters are each provided with a plurality of screws 32, lo-

cated between the grooves 21, and positioned to pass between contiguous edges of oppositely disposed spring plates 33, secured in grooves 34:, formed in the stiles 14. \Vhen the meeting edges of two panels are positioned contiguous to each other, the plates 33' of the two panels are brought into jux taposith n so that the resilient sides 35 thereof constitute spring plates, with which the heads of the screws 32 may be engaged, in a manner similar to the engagement of the screws 24 with the plates 23, of the construction illustrated in Figures 2 and 4.

The construction illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 is somewhat similar to that of Figures .6 and 7, except that in lieu of the screws 32, flat metal plates 36, provided with ofiset hook-like portions 39, are positioned to engage the plate 33; In this form of the invention the pilasters 11 are somewhat shorter than the full distance between the floor and the bottonnof the cap piece. By this arrangement the pilasters may be moved inwardly until the hooks 39 are in position to engage the plates 33, and then moved upwardly to bring the hooks and plates in enspaces between the floor and the lower ends of the pilasters, the fastening screws serving to maintain the pilasters in raised position.

In Figures 10 and 11 metal-engaging pieces 36 similar to those illustrated in Figures 8 and 9 are employed, but in lieu of the metal plates33 the stiles are provided with longitudinal grooves 37, the walls of which are cut away as indicated at 38, to provide openings through which the plates 361nay be 111- serted. In the form of the invention illustrated in Figures 10 and 11, the short length pilasters, similar to those of Figures 8 and 9 are employed. The said openings or cutaway portions are of sufficient length to permit'the plates 36 to be inserted while the pilasters are in their lowermost positions,

after which the pilasters are raised to cause the hook like portions of the plates 36 to engage the walls of the groove 37.

In the construction illustrated in Figures 12 and 13 the stiles are provided with longitudinal grooves 10, the walls of WlllCll are cut away at 41, to form the half of a. keyhole slot. The arrangement is such that when the meeting ends of two panels are brought together, the cut-away portions 11 combine to provide a series of complete keyhole slots. The pilasters, similar to those illustrated in Figures 8 and 9, are provided on their inner faces with screws 42,- the heads of which, in assembling the construction, are passed through the larger portions of the key-hole slots while the panels are slightly elevated, and when the pilasters are raised the .heads of the screws will remain within the groove 40 locking the parts together.

In the construction illustrated in Figures 2 and 7 both inclusive, if at any time it is desirable or necessary to remove a panel, the keepers 25 engaging the pilasters at the two ends of the panel are removed, and the said pilasters may then be disengaged from the structure by pulling out the lower ends thereof. In the constructions illustrated in Figures 8 to 13, both inclusive, a downward pull on each pilaster will accomplish the same result. The panel may then be (released by aninward l'llOVGlDGIlt. causing a pivoting motion at its upper portion, thereby causing the tenon-like por-- tion 18 to disengage itself from the cap piece. Thus the selected panel may be removed and replaced, without in anymanner disturbing the rest of the structure and,

therefore, not interfering in any way with the use of the partition during the making of the repairs. The changes indicated may be readily and quickly made with little labor and with loss of but verylittle time.

Having thus explained the nature of the invention and described an operative man ner of constructing and using the same,

although without attempting to set forth all of the forms in which it may be made, or all of the forms of its use, what is claimed 1. A partition of the character described comprising two or more relatively spaced aligned panels, pairs of pilasters covering opposite faces of the same contiguous edges of said panels in a manner to provide an enclosed space between the pilasters and the edges of the panels, and means for removably retaining said. pilasters in assembled position, and interengaging means on the panels and pilasters, said interengaging means being releasable upon separation of said pilasters.

2. A partition of the character described comprising two or more aligned panels, pairs of pilasters covering opposite faces of the same contiguous edges of said panels, and separately connecting said panels, said pilasters and said panels being so disposed as to provide an enclosed space located between the contiguous edges of any two panels and the inner faces of the pilasters contiguous thereto so that either panel may be removed without disturbing any other panel after first removing one of its pilasters, and means for separably connecting the pilasters of each pair with each other.

3. A partition of the character described comprising two or more panels disconnected at their edges and arranged in alignment, each panel having end stiles and pilasters movable toward and from the sides of said stiles, and complemental means carried by the stiles and, the pilasters for normally holding the pilasters in position.

4. A partition of the character described comprising two or more aligned panels provided with tenon like upper edges, pairs of pilasters covering opposite faces of the same contiguous edges'of said panels, said pilastcrs and said panels being so disposed as to provide an enclosed space located between the contiguous edges of any two panels and the inner faces of the pilasters covering said edges, so that either panel may be removed without disturbing any other panel after first removing one of its pilasters, and a cap piece having a groove complemental to said tenon like upper edges, said cap piece and the tops of said pilasters having complemental separable engaging means.

5. A partition of the character described, comprising two or more panels arranged in alignment and provided with tenon-like upper edges, pilasters covering contiguous end edges of said panels and separably connecting them, and a cap piece having a groove in its bottom edge complemental to said tenon-like upper edges, said pilasters having plates positioned to enter the groove of the cap piece.

6. A partition of the character described ends of said panels having stiles provided with tenon like portions, and pairs of pilasters covering the opposite ,faces of the same contiguous edges of said panels. said stiles being provided on their inner faces with grooves complemental to, the tenon like por tions of said stiles, said pilasters and said panels being so disposed as to provide an enclosed space located between the stiles and the pilasters engaging the same so that either panel may be'removed without disturbing any other panel after first removing one of its pilasters.

7. A partition of the character described comprising two or more aligned panels, the ends of said panels having stiles provided with tenon like portions, and pairs of pilasters covering the opposite faces of the same contiguous edges of said panels, said stiles being provided on their inner faces with grooves complemental tothe tenon like portions of said stiles, said pilasters and said panels being so disposed as to provide an enclosed space locatedbetween the stiles and the pilasters engaging the same so that either panel may be removed without disturbing any other panel after first removing one of its pilasters, and means normally preventing separation of the pilasters of each pair.

8. A partition of the character described comprislng two or more panels arranged in alignment, the ends of said panels having stiles provided with tenon-like portions, pilasters cov ring contiguous end edges of said panel and having their inner faces provided with grooves complemental to the tenon-like portions of'said stiles, a c ap piece engaging said panels, and separable engaging means between the cap piece and the pilasters. I

9. A partition of the character described comprising two ormore panels arranged in alignment, the top edges of said panels being provided with tenon-like portions, pilasters covering contiguous end edges of said panels and separably connecting them, a cap piece agross the pilasters provided with a groove complemental to the tenon-like portions of the panels, and members carried by the pilasters positioned to engage the groove of the cap piece.

10. A partition of the character described comprising two or more aligned panels, and pairs of pilasters covering opposite faces of the same contiguous edges of said panels, and separably uniting them, said pilasters and said pariels being so disposed as to provide an enclosed space located between the contiguous edges of any two panels and the inner faces of the pilasters covering said edges, said pilasters separably uniting said panels, means, extending across the tops of said pilastersand separably connecting them, and the tops of said panels, and means for anchoring the pilasters to the floor.

11. A partition of the. character described comprising two or more aligned panels, and pairs of pilasters covering opposite faces of the same contiguous edges of said panels. and separably connecting said panels, said p'ilastcrs and said panels being-so disposed as to provide an enclosed space located between the contiguous edges of any two panels and the inner faces of the pilasters coverinnthe same so that either panel may be removed without disturbin 'any other panel after first removing one or its pilasters, and keeper plates for securing the lower ends of the pilasters to a floor or the like.

12. A partition of the character described comprising two or' more panels arranged in alignment, each panel having end stlles, and pilasters covermg contiguous edges of said panels and separably engag ng the contigj'yu'ouslylocated stiles, each stile having an adjustable portion.

13. A partition of the character. described comprising two or more panels arranged in alignment, each panel having and stiles, pi-- lasters covering contiguously located stiles and separably engaging them, each stile having a movable portion provided with longitudinal slots, and securing screws extended through said slots.

14. A partition of the character described comprising two or more aligned panels, and

removed -without disturbing any other panel after first removing one of its pilastors, one pilaster of each pair having spring clipssecured thereto, the other pilasters of said pair being provided with studs complemental to said clips.

16. 'A partition of the character described comprising two or more panels arranged in alignment, pairs of pilasters covering contiguous edges of said panels and separably connecting .them, U-shaped clips secured to one pilaster and provided with inturne'd relatively spaced lips, and headed studs se-- cured to the other pilaster and positioned to engage said clips,

17. A sectional partition structure of the character described comprising a plurality of panels positioned end to end, with the contiguous ends of adjacent panels spaced apart, and pairs of pilasters covering opposite faces of the same contiguous edges of said panels and extending over and covering the spaces between the said contiguous ends so as to provide enclosed spaces located between the said. contiguous ends of any two panels and the inner faces of the pilasters covering the same, and means whereby the pilasters and the ends of the panels may be removably secured together, and means detachably connecting the pilasters of each set of panels to each other, so that any panel may be removed without disturbing any of the other panels.

In testimony whereof we have hereunto set our hands.

WILLIAM T. HORMES.

ALBERT M. WOLTZ.

JOSEPH F. REYMANN. 

